Need You Now - Beth Wiseman

Brad and Darlene Henderson decide to move their three teenage children from the bright lights of Houston to the tiny town of Round Top, Texas in a bid to remove the threat to their children's safety. It takes some adjusting to rural life especially for Grace, their middle child, who finds a dangerous way to cope.

Their marriage has been like any other and their faith has helped them through the more difficult times. When Darlene applies for a job at a local special needs school, tensions begin to rise, especially when the widowed father of her student starts to pay more attention than he should.

The seemingly perfect lives of the Henderson's start to unravel - is Brad having an affair? Is Skylar, Graces' new friend, a good influence? Can Layla, their glamorous neighbor and Darlene ever be friends? With all that's going on, if Darlene needed God's support - it was now.

The story of the Henderson's is seen through the eyes of the family and the people that they interact with along the way. And what an amazing, powerful and absorbing story it is! Wiseman's characters are exceptionally real and she has written them all with so much emotion that you can't help but experience their frustrations and fears right along with them.

Chad the eldest hung out with a bad lot in Houston but has the maturity to step away from it when he spots it in the small town. Ansley, a special needs child, makes great progress with school and her reward for doing well are chickens - which allow for light relief in an emotionally charged tale as this. Grace's coping methods cause more anguish than she ever thought - all in her need to be a perfect child. The several threads of this story are woven into a truly compelling tale.

I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully written story of a family's struggle and how Wiseman realistically faced head on how someone's faith in God can go awry and how they may feel abandoned when things go from bad to worse. She's tackled difficult subjects in a unobtrusive and understanding way which makes this story one that I had to read in just one go.  A very highly recommended read!

www.bethwiseman.com

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishing and Handlebar Marketing. The opinions expressed are my own, I am not required to give a positive review.